For £800 this piece of art could be a good buy, Norma Jean

ALASTAIR Howard teaches children by day, but admits that at night he can’t kick a childhood habit: Lego.

This week, Mr Howard, 38, of Headington, placed a large Lego portrait he made of iconic Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe on sale on eBay with an asking price of £800.

“It’s a childhood thing I never really grew out of,” said the father of two girls, aged one and four.

The Monroe picture is the first portrait made of Lego that he has attempted, he said. “It was more a challenge,” Mr Howard added. “In the past I’ve made animations out of Lego, but that’s quite time-consuming.”

The Monroe picture consists of more than 1,000 Lego flat bricks, measuring 66cm wide and long.

The bricks are stuck on to a flat board with studs, which in turn is glued to a large piece of wood.

He said the portrait took him about five hours to design, and almost 30 hours in total to make.

“It’s hard to work out as I was doing it over many evenings after putting my daughters to bed.”

With an estimated cost of £500 plus eBay’s fees, Mr Howard thinks he will make little profit on the picture.

He plans his next work to be of Sean Connery’s James Bond.

Lego spokeswoman Emma Owen said: “There is an ever-growing number of Adult Fans of LEGO (or AFOLS as they are commonly known) out there and it’s great to see their passion.”

Ipsoregulated

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here